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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Early turnovers and struggles on the glass doomed the Vikings in their Big Sky Conference opener against Sacramento State Saturday afternoon at The Nest in Sacramento, Calif. The Hornets took the game by a score of 132-91, setting a new Big Sky Conference scoring record.
 
Portland State (2-10 overall, 0-1 BSC) came into the game as one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, and the country, but the Vikings struggled on the boards against Sacramento State. The Hornets out-rebounded the Vikings 64-to-43 in the game for the Vikings' worst rebounding margin of the season (-21). The Hornets did most of their damage on the offensive glass, pulling down 32 rebounds, which they turned in to 32 points.
 
Sacramento State (4-8, 1-0) shot 46.3 percent from the floor in the game, going 50-for-108 in the contest. Portland State shot a season-high 44.4 percent from the floor, but hit 18 fewer field goals than the Hornets.

Portland State guards Kian McNair and Ashley Torres Negron each scored 19 points to lead the Vikings. McNair went 7-for-12 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers. She picked up one of the Vikings' seven steals in the game, with 8:19 left in the game, to keep her current streak of consecutive games with a steal alive. She has recorded at least one steal in every game this season.
 
Torres Negron came off the bench for her 19 points going 6-for-13 from the floor. She also went 7-for-9 from the free-throw line.
 
Redshirt sophomore G Montana Walters added a career-high 12 points, going 4-for-7 from the floor, all from three-point range. It was the first time in her PSU career that she hit multiple three-pointers in a game. Walters also pulled down a career-high five rebounds.
 
Freshman G Michaela Kay scored 11 points. Yaremi Mejia also scored a career-high eight points with six rebounds. Danah Haley came up short of a double-double, with nine points and eight rebounds.
 
Sacramento State had six players in double-figures led by Brianna Burgos' 19 points.
 
Both teams traded point early in the first quarter. The Hornets went up by nine points at 21-12 before the Vikings cut the lead to five at 23-18. After the teams traded points again, Sacramento State ended the period on an 8-0 run to lead 33-20 after the first.
 
Portland State turned the ball over 12 times in the opening 10 minutes, leading to 17 points for Sacramento State. McNair kept the Vikings in the game with 11 of her 19 points in the first quarter.
 
The Vikings again cut the lead to five points at 55-50 following a 15-2 run late in the second quarter. The Hornets countered with another 7-0 run to finish out the half. Sacramento State led 62-50 at the break.
 
Sacramento State kept extending its lead in the second half, out-scoring Portland State 70-41, en route to the 41-point victory.
 
The Vikings will be at home next weekend as they host the Montana schools. The Montana Lady Griz come to the Peter W. Stott Center on Thursday, Jan. 7 for a 7 p.m. PT tip. The Montana State Bobcats come to the Park Blocks on Saturday, Jan. 9. Tip is slated for 2 p.m.
 
NOTES: Portland State scored a season-high 91 points … Montana Walters scored a career-high 12 points connecting on a career-high four three-pointers … Kian McNair posted her sixth double-digit scoring game of the season …  Kian McNair recorded a steal with 8:19 left in the game to keep her consecutive games with a steal streak alive … Ashley Torres Negron posted her fifth double-digit scoring game of the season …  Portland State turned the ball over 27 times leading to 37 points for Sacramento State … Sacramento State's 132 points set a new Big Sky Conference record for points scored in a game … Sacramento State's 132 points was the most ever allowed by Portland State.